1By advice of his servants Ahasuerus appointeth the fair virgins of his kingdom to be assembled in order to choose out a queen. 5Esther brought up by Mordecai. 8She is preferred by Hegai keeper of the women before all the other virgins, but by Mordecai's directions telleth not her kindred. 12The manner of purification and going in unto the king. 15Esther pleaseth him, and is made queen. 21Mordecai discovereth a plot against the king's life, which service is registered in the chronicles of the kingdom.
1AFTER these things, when 1the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he 2remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
1 Namely, against queen Vashti.
2 He made mention of her to his courtiers; peradventure being now sorry that he had so rashly put her away from him.
2Then said the king’s 3servants that ministered unto him, Let there be 4fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 That is, the princes, who had condemned Vashti, Esther 1:16, etc. These, who had passed so hard a sentence against Vashti, fearing lest the king might be moved with compassion towards Vashti and take her again unto himself, and so by that means she might come to be revenged on them, for giving the king such counsel as to reject and put her away, they go about to prevent this, and for that end propound a way unto the king how he may satisfy his pleasure and in time quite forget Vashti.
4 Hebr. good to look on.
3And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may 5gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house 6of the women, unto 7the custody of 8Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their 9things for purification be given them:
5 Understand withal: and bring.
6 That is, of the virgins. So again later in this very verse; and in Gal. 4:4 the blessed virgin Mary is called a woman.
7 That is, care, or providing, custody, oversight, as verse 8.
8 Verse 8 Hegai.
9 Understand among all these things what belongs to the attiring and dressing of virgins, as namely, apparel, rings and jewels, and also perfumes and sweet-smelling ointments, oil or sweet balls. See verses 12, 13. See also of the attiring, dressing of maidens and virgins Isa. 3:18.
4And let the maiden which 10pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
10 Hebr. shall be good. Also verse 9.
5¶Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a 11Benjamite;
11 See Judges 3:15.
6Who had been carried away from Jerusalem witha the 12captivity which had been carried away with 13Jeconiah king of Judah, 14whom 15Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
a 2 Kings 24:14.
12 Hebr. with the carrying away.
13 Otherwise called Jehoiachin, 2 Kings 24:6, and Coniah, by way of contempt, Jer. 22:24.
14 Namely, Jeconiah; or, those who had been carried away.
15 Other, Nabuchodonosor.
7And he brought up Hadassah, that is, 16Esther, 17his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
16 She was called Esther, when she became the wife of king Ahasuerus. Herodotus calls the wife of Xerxes, Amestris, which some do apply unto Esther.
17 Namely, the daughter of his father’s brother, called Abihail, verse 15; so that Mordecai and Esther were brothers’ children.
8¶So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when 18many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
18Josephus writes that four hundred were brought together.
9And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her 19things for purification, 20with such things as belonged to her, and seven 21maidens, which were meet to be given 22her, out of the king's house: and he 23preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
19 See verse 3.
20 That is, all that belonged to her, to the end she might be duly adorned.
21 Or, choice, or, fit, and meet to be given.
22 Namely, virgins of the state.
23 Hebr. altered or changed them to the good of the house, that is, he gave her a better and more suitable place or chamber to be in than he had given her at first.
10Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai 24had charged her that she should not shew it.
24 Namely, because the Jews at that time were in great contempt.
11And Mordecai walked 25every day before the court 26of the women's house, to know 27how Esther did, and 28what should become of her.
25 Hebr. in all day and day.
26 That is, of the maidens, and so continually in this book.
27 Hebr. peace.
28 Or, what would become of her; or, what would be done to her.
12¶Now when 29every maid’s 30turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, 31after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for 32so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)
29 Hebr. of maiden and of maiden.
30 Or, appointed time, order.
31 Hebr. from or after the end to be done, etc.
32 That is, they were to have so much time to purify and adorn themselves.
1333Then thus came every maiden unto the king; 34whatsoever she desired was given her 35to go with her out of the house of the women 36unto the king's house.
33 Namely, thus attired, adorned and perfumed.
34 That is, whatsoever she desired, namely, of ornaments, apparel, attire, perfume, etc.
35 Other, to go therewith.
36 That is, unto the king’s bedchamber.
14In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into 37the second house of the women, to 38the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
37 In this second house were the concubines and those who had lain with the king. But in the first house, whereof mention is made in verse 3, were only virgins or maidens.
38 That is, care, oversight.
15¶Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, 39who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she 40required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, 41appointed. And Esther obtained 42favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
39 Namely, Mordecai, verse 7.
40 Thus making it appear that she surrendered herself and relied entirely upon the Providence of God.
41 That is, gave her, appointed for her; that is, she was well content with the apparel and ornament that Hegai gave her, be it what it would.
42 That is here, graciousness, as Prov. 1:9 and elsewhere.
16So Esther was 43taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month 44Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
43 That is, taken and brought. In the Hebrew there is used but one word, which signifies sometimes to take, sometimes to bring, and sometimes both together, as here and Mat. 4:5. Compare Gen. 12:15 with the annotation.
44 This month had the moonlight which agrees partly with our December and partly with our January. And this was the fourth month of the year, according to the account of the Chaldeans, who begin the year in September; but it was the tenth month, according to the account of the Hebrews, who begin the ecclesiastical year from March. This account of the Hebrews is followed in this book.
17And the king loved Esther above all the 45women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set 46the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
45 That is, the maidens or women-kind.
46 Hebr. the crown of the kingdom.
1847Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even 48Esther’s feast; and 49he made a release to the provinces, and 50gave gifts, 51according to the state of the king.
47 See Esther 1 on verse 3, etc.
48 The word feast signifies here as much as wedding, or the royal banquet, given to the honor of Esther, when the king took her to wife.
49 Or, he gave. Hebr. he made, that is, he diminished the burdens and taxes of his subjects.
50 He gave to the queen and to the great ones, yea, peradventure to the people also.
51 Hebr. according to the hand of the king.
19And when the virgins were gathered together 52the second time, 53then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.
52 Some perceive that maidens or virgins were gathered together the second time, not to choose a wife from among them for the king as they were gathered together the first time for that purpose, but to choose from among them certain concubines for the king.
53 That is, he was continually present at or in the king’s court, as he was wont to do and likewise ought to do, as being also (as it seems) a court-servant or minister at court, and waiting and attending upon the king’s service.
20Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged 54her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as 55when she was brought up with him.
54 Fearing, lest she might come to be despised or disdained by reason of her kindred and pedigree.
55 Or, when she was a nurse child with him.
21¶In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, 56Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were 57wroth, and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
56 Esther 6:2 Bigthana.
57 Namely, with the king.
22And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.
23And when inquisitionb was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on 58a tree: and it was written 59in the book of the chronicles 60before the king.
b search, investigation
58 Or, on a gallow, or, on a piece of wood.
59 Hebr. in the book of the words of the days, that is, in the chronicle, namely, of the Persians.
60 That is, in the presence of the king; or, in the book of the chronicle, which lay daily before the king for him to read, wherein were recorded the most memorable things, which daily occurred.